What is Bonsai

Welcome to the
world of nature in miniature!

The word
bonsai (pronounced "bone-sigh," with equal accent) is the combination
of two Japanese words which translate to "tray planting." They are trees in
containers, miniaturized through artful horticultural techniques. From its origins
in China and earlier, the art has been developed over the centuries to
its present state by the Japanese, and today finds practitioners throughout
the world.

Many
Western observers expect all bonsai to be hundreds of years old, and they
are often disappointed when they learn that a beautiful and venerable-looking tree is not very old. But the fact that
a tree can survive in a small pot, and continue to grow, produce fruit and
flowers, and maintain all the other characteristics of a tree in nature
is a wondrous achievement in itself. Bonsai need not be ancient. The objective in
bonsai art is to create the illusion of a mature tree. This is accomplished
through careful selection of material, followed by the design, development
and care process. The result becomes an idealized tree at a very compact size.

While
almost any suitable species of tree or shrub can be cultivated in a container,
the art of bonsai is to make a small tree into a masterpiece. It is shaped, trimmed and trained, often using wire to set branches
and trunk into the desired design. The wires are removed after training
is completed. Designs follow aesthetic rules which have been developed
and refined over the years by the Masters.

If you
would like to learn more about bonsai, please visit our Club Newsletters page. We invite you to join the Yama Ki
Bonsai Society, where members study and learn the fundamentals and the details of selection,
potting, wiring, training, and care. We have programs and presentations designed to appeal
to the experienced bonsai artist and to the novice.

Meetings are held monthly, usually on the second Saturday, please check our meetings and events menu. If you would
like to join us, please print out and return the application
form available
on this site. Please feel
free to attend any meeting or outing listed in our newsletter, even before
you join.